The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naxalites on defensive over `raw deal' to tribal cadre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naxalites on defensive over `raw deal' to tribal cadre

By S. Harpal Singh

ADILABAD, DEC. 20. The developments which followed the surrender of the district committee secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Tekam Motiram alias Vijay, on December 8 have put the naxalite outfit on the defensive.

Relations between tribals and the extremist party have soured and the district bandh, called by the 27 tribal organisations on Monday, though ineffective, signals the deep resentment for the alleged discrimination against tribal cadre in the CPI(Maoist).

Tekam Motiram belongs to the Gond tribe. For long, he has been a rallying point for other tribals to take to arms. Not only are surrenders of 20 Gonds working in the party, but the fear of tribal recruitments drying up is making the Maoists jittery.

While his surrender may have come as a `loss' to the underground outfit, Motiram's allegation on discrimination have added to the problems of the `image-conscious' party.

Police upbeat?

Taking advantage of the situation, the district police have facilitated tribals to launch a `media blitz' on the CPI(Maoist) in general and Chandranna (He is secretary of the North Telangana Special Zone Committee) in particular.

On December 14 the police produced the former naxalite at the counselling session of parents of naxalite cadre.

Chandranna joined issue saying tribal organisations were hand in glove with the police to discredit Maoists. This provoked tribals to hang Chandranna's effigy and call for the bandh.

"Motiram's allegations having come true, we are expecting more tribals to surrender," the Superintendent of Police, Kripanand Tripathi Ujela, says.

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